1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an efficient method by which lost personal accessory items such as keyrings containing keys can be returned via U.S. Mail to their owner without breach of security.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Simple keyring identification devices affixed to a keyring have been in common use for many years. The most common type identifies either the owner directly or the premises accessed by the key, such as a hotel room; these compromise security when misplaced or if stolen. An earlier type recalled by the applicant was a replica of one's automobile license plate which appeared in the 1950s which could then be traced back to the owner through a state motor vehicle department. A third, of similar concept as the present invention but impractical for commercial mass use, is provided by an automobile manufacturer to some car purchasers as a gratuity; it is of cumbersome design, subject to disintegration over time and use, and incapable of commercially efficient implementation. This invention eliminates all of the foregoing problems and shortcomings.
The following prior art references are pertinent to the invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,284 to Ashley PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,487 to Marty PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,754 to Loeb PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 450,427 to Schell PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,185 to Sheldon PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,653,581 to McKellar PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,200,454 to Rahn PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,280 to Schlage PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,352 to Thomas
Rahn describes the license plate replica described earlier in this section. Ashley concerns return of luggage and Schell of watches. Marty, Sheldon, McKellar and Schlage each place an indicia on an individual key rather than on a keyring. Loeb is a general property identifier.
Thomas, and the patents referenced therein, discloses a property return system including as one of its several claims a barcode identifier. However it is distinguishable in relying solely on an internet banking system as the initial return point and a profitable reward system for both the property finder and the bank internet after the loss and find occur. The present invention is without a finder reward system and utilizes the entire system of common U.S. Mail deposit boxes as its initial return point. Although Thomas states its system will become "an important profit generation center for banking and credit institutions in the next decade," such does not appear to have materialized since its patent issued in 1979, and the system appears to nave been abandoned.
Additionally, Thomas places within the identification device significant data concerning the owner, whereas the present invention does not.